Hosting Thanksgiving is a fun and rewarding experience, but if you live in a small home, it can feel like an impossible task. In actuality, nothing could be further from the truth! It just takes a little planning and some creative, space-saving solutions.
Here are some tips for hosting Thanksgiving in a small space:
1. Angle Your Table
We’ve all certainly been there when it comes to eating in a small living space: consuming meals over the kitchen counter or on our laps while sitting on the couch. But when it comes to hosting for the holidays, a large table is definitely in order. What to do, then? It’s simpler than you might think: All you have to do is set up your dining table at an angle away from the wall. Instead of setting it up parallel to a wall, run it right through the middle of the apartment at whatever angle gives you the most space. This will give you some extra square feet to work with, and you and your guests won’t feel squashed or closed in. It will also create the illusion of a larger space.
2. Set Things Up Buffet-Style
If putting a dining table in your space isn’t your thing, that’s perfectly okay. You can go the buffet route instead. Set up a makeshift buffet on your kitchen counter, or even dinner table (just keep the chairs in a separate room to provide seating for guests). Your guests can help themselves to whatever they like and eat informally in the living room and dining room. You can even throw a large picnic blanket on the floor for guests to sit on. This is a fun and more casual way to do a holiday meal that can really pay off: It will feel warmer, friendlier, and more intimate than the usual formal affair.
3. Conversation Space
When having a holiday party in a small space, it’s tempting to want to push all of your furniture against the wall to make space. But this can look clunky and awkward. Instead, opt for creating conversation spaces. Angle a few chairs close to each other here and there, and place some closer to the couch so there are different areas for your friends and family to hang out and chat. Be sure to set out appetizers and snacks in these spaces to keep your guests happy!
4. Declutter
A small living space means that sometimes things will feel pretty cluttered. There isn’t a lot of extra room to keep all of your belongings, and so things can get a little crowded. When hosting for the holidays, take all of the furniture and decor you don’t need for your event and put it in another room. This will open up more space and make your apartment look cleaner and more organized.
5. Get Creative
Living in a small space means you might not have all the amenities needed for hosting a holiday party. But that shouldn’t stop you. All you have to do is get creative! If you don’t have enough chairs, use a step stool or even a stack of throw pillows. If you want to go the dining table route but can’t afford one, push two smaller (and inexpensive) tables together. You can also use paper plates and plastic cups if you’re short on dinnerware. Decorative ones designed for the holidays will maintain that festive feel.
6. Mirrors
The reflection of mirrors makes your space seem larger. This is something to invest in even without a holiday party to host, but it’ll absolutely make your guests feel like your living space is larger and more spacious than it actually is. Strategically place some mirrors on the walls near the dining area and conversation areas to give your apartment more light and create the illusion of more space.